KOLKATA: BJP candidates Hasirani Rath and Sakharav Sarkar recorded commanding victories in the high-voltage Assembly bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar in West Bengal, with widening margins in counting trends on Friday. The Election Commission had yet to announce the final results till Friday night.
Rath, contesting from Nandigram, home turf of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, was ahead by more than 1.15 lakh votes after the 15th round of counting. Congress candidate Milan Pradhan, with around 31,000 votes, was in second place, followed by the Left candidate. The rival Democratic Trinamool Congress faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, was in fifth place, according to trends reported by news channels until 3.30 pm.
In Rejinagar, a minority-dominated constituency in Murshidabad district, BJP candidate Sakharav Sarkar was ahead by more than 75,000 votes after the eighth round. The Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP), led by Humayun Kabir, was a distant second, with Congress in third place.
Counting began at 8 am under tight security. The bypolls, held on October 6, were being watched as an early electoral test after the BJP’s victory in the Assembly elections.
Reacting to the trends Adhikari said, “Cutting across their religious identity all people – Hindus and Muslims- have voted for BJP. We have got maximum minority votes. In Rejinagar, ‘didi’ o ‘bonera’ (elder sisters and sisters) of 35,000 Muslim families have given votes for us. Sixty per cent out of 70 per cent minority voters have given their mandates to us.” He added: “They were being misled by the Left and TMC for the past five since we came to power. A negative campaign saying ‘BJP will send back you (Muslims) to Bangladesh and detention camp’ was made against us. But the minority brothers and sisters have now understood that it was a misleading campaign by the Opposition and that’s why they have voted for BJP.”
Rejinagar has around 70% minority voters, while the figure in Nandigram is 30%.
Addressing an election rally in Nandigram last week, he appealed to Muslim voters: “I tell my minority brothers and sisters, do not turn your backs anymore. This is the opportunity for friendship. Let us all unite and ensure the win of the BJP candidate on October 6.”
He also said: “Will the minorities turn their backs on us? What will be the benefit of that? You are our friends. Let us be friends. The 6th is an auspicious day for friendship. Join hands to become friends. We will do it for the welfare of all. Our leader Narendra Modi ji works for everyone, and the chief minister will also do it for everyone. So you have to make friends.”
Nandigram fell vacant after Adhikari, who won both Nandigram and Bhabanipur in the 2026 Assembly election, retained Bhabanipur. The constituency carries particular political significance: it was the centre of Mamata Banerjee’s anti-land-acquisition movement, which helped propel the Trinamool Congress to power in 2011. Adhikari defeated Banerjee there in 2021 and won the seat again in 2026.
The BJP nominated Rath, mother of Adhikari’s slain personal assistant Chandranath Rath, whose candidature added an emotional dimension to the contest. Chandranath was shot dead on May 6, two days after the BJP won the Assembly elections.
The Trinamool faction withdrew its candidate Sanchita Pradhan Dey after she met Adhikari. Banerjee subsequently backed Congress nominee Milan Pradhan. He had been arrested in old cases linked to the 2007 Nandigram land-acquisition agitation but obtained interim bail and returned to campaign. The TMC rival faction fielded Haque under envelope symbol.
Rejinagar seat fell vacant after AJUP founder Kabir, who won both Rejinagar and Nowda in the 2026 election, retained Nowda. His son, Golam Nabi Azad, contested the bypoll.
Kabir had won Rejinagar by nearly 59,000 votes.